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Sri Lanka finally managed to produce some solid cricket on Day 3 of the second Test against England, but it is still a long way back if they want to salvage anything from the match and keep the series alive. Join The Roar for live scores from 8pm (AEST).
It should be expected that this will be the final day of the match, but then again that was expected yesterday as Sri Lanka looked to be Englands’ equal for the first time in six days of play throughout the series.
After they got smashed inside three days during the first Test, being knocked over twice inside of 80 overs, their fragile batting line up looked like it was going down the same path in this match.
After a bowling effort that was poor at best, letting England get to a score of 9 for 498 declared on the back of a massive Moeen Ali century and big efforts from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales, their batting came out and collapsed to be 6 for 67, before eventually reaching the score of 101.
With James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes running riot, and the fact England had barely spent 40 overs in the field – for the third time during the series – they decided to enforce the follow on.
It didn’t work as well as the poms would have hoped, with Sri Lanka’s batting order finally muscling up and ending the day on 5 for 309 from 84 overs. That still leaves them 88 runs behind and staring down the barrel of another demoralising innings defeat, but the confidence they would have picked up sets them in good stead for the third Test.
Captain Angelo Matthews led from the front, scoring 80 from just 105 balls before being dismissed by James Anderson, and it led the charge for a much more aggressive Sri Lankan batting performance – which seemed to work for them.
Kaushal Silva was also rock solid at the top of the order, adding 60 with useful contributions littered throughout – Dinesh Chandimal and Milinda Siriwardana finished the day not out on 54 and 35 respectively.
England used more than five bowlers for the first time in the series, and while James Anderson was his usual economical, wicket-taking self he wasn’t backed up well by others, particularly Moeen Ali who needed to play a bigger role with his spin bowling after going at almost six runs per over.
Regardless, the first two day’s play almost ended this match as a contest and it would still be a surprise to many if Sri Lanka manage to make England chase any score after a night’s rest and reflection from Anderson and the pace bowling arsenal.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of the fourth day’s play from 8pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde